Contracts and Grants Specialist - Finance

The Finance Department is seeking a full-time Contracts and Grants Specialist to assist in the review, reconciliation, payment, and reporting of agency obligations.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MISSION STATEMENT

CPCS is committed to protecting the fundamental constitutional and human rights of our assigned clients through zealous advocacy, community-oriented defense, and the fullness of excellent legal representation.  We are dedicated to building and maintaining strong professional relationships, while striving to accept, listen to and respect the diverse circumstances of each client, as we dedicate ourselves to meeting their individual needs.  It is our CPCS mission to achieve these goals, and in furtherance thereof, we embrace and endorse diversity, equity and inclusion as our core values as we maintain a steadfast commitment to: (1) Ensure that CPCS management and staff members represent a broad range of human differences and experience; (2) Provide a work climate that is respectful and supports success; and (3) Promote the dignity and well-being of all staff members. CPCS leadership is responsible for ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion. The ability to achieve these goals with any level of certainty is ultimately the responsibility of each member of the CPCS community.

CPCS is the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing an attorney when the state or federal constitution or a state statute requires the appointment of an attorney for a person who cannot afford to retain one.  The agency provides representation in criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, family regulation, guardianship, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry cases, as well as in appeals and post-conviction and post-judgment proceedings related to those matters.

The clients we represent are diverse across every context imaginable and bring many unique cultural dimensions to the matters we address. This reality creates a critical need for CPCS staff to be culturally competent and able to work well with people of different races, ethnicities, genders and/or sexual orientation identities, abilities, and limited English proficiency, among other protected characteristics.

The Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions within the agency. These include, but are not limited to, Budget, Accounting, Procurement, Accounts Payable, Security, Internal Control Compliance, Audit & Oversight Conformity, Fixed Assets, Federal Grants, Records Management, and Facilities.

The Contracts and Grants Specialist is responsible for Agency contracts and ensuring compliance with Commonwealth and Agency contract policies and procedures, including compliance with all areas of federal regulations for federal grant processing, with the relevant requirements and guidelines of the Office of the State Comptroller (CTR), the Operational Services Division (OSD), Administration and Finance (ANF), and the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS).

The Contracts and Grants Specialist also acts as the fiscal liaison with the Bar Advocate Programs and works in collaboration with the Accounting Manager, who is responsible for the comprehensive oversight and implementation of the agency’s accounting policies and procedures.

The Contracts and Grants Specialist will work closely with the Accounting Supervisor and Accounting Manager, who are responsible for the oversight and implementation of agency accounting policies and procedures. The Accounting Team ensures compliance with requirements and guidelines established by the Office of the State Comptroller (CTR), the Operational Services Division (OSD), Administration and Finance, Federal Grants regulations, and the Committee for Public Counsel Services.

The Contracts and Grants Specialist reports to the Accounting Supervisor and will receive support from the Accounting Manager, Finance Director and Chief Financial Officer.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance or similar field, or an equivalent combination of relevant education, training, and experience;
• Five years of experience in accounting and/or accounts payable experience;
• Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

• Proficiency with the state accounting system (Mosaic), including reconciling accounts and managing accounts payable or similar accounting systems;
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office 2010+ with a strong emphasis on Excel, Access, and Outlook;
• Two to three years of supervising, mentoring, or training experience;
• Ability to proactively identify solutions for process improvements and ability to implement effective solutions;
• Ability to create, analyze, and interpret financial information and scenarios;
• Knowledge and understanding of state finance law as well as payment and procurement regulations;
• Good communication skills; and,
• Ability to work independently and as part of a group.

This person will possess personal and professional integrity, strong communication skills, and strong analytical and decision-making skills.

The individual must possess strong leadership and managerial skills, strong interpersonal skills, high energy level, and a positive outlook.

This person must believe in strong customer service and always act with professionalism and responsiveness.  

The individual who will succeed in this role can best be described as: 

• motivated; you thrive in feeling accomplished without gloating or getting an ego;
• a stickler for accuracy; your attention to detail is critical for success and the success of the Agency mission;
• a believer in customer service; you understand that even difficult conversations should end with a smile and/or pleasantries and that responsiveness is a key component of great customer service;
• consistent across many communication mediums; whether it be over the phone, text or email, you provide superior support for whomever needs it;
• a tech enthusiast; you recognize that technology can improve processes and love to learn how technology can improve existing processes;
• a team player; no matter your peers’ education or experience, you treat them as your equal;
• patient; you welcome differences and you understand that sometimes you are limited in what you can improve upon or change but you continue to look for opportunities to improve existing processes; and,
• a believer; that our clients and staff are why we come to work every day and that nearly anything can be accomplished with dedication, patience, and hard work.

Responsibilities and duties include, but are not limited to: 

• →Processing new, amended, and renewed contracts for the Agency and ensuring compliance with the Office of the State Comptroller (CTR) and Agency contract management policies and procedures;
• →Supporting the statewide Bar Advocate Programs through contract development, monitoring and development of annual budgets, and through financial reporting of program spending; including acting as the Finance Department's fiscal liaison to the programs;
• →Working with the encumbrance/commitment process to ensure that the appropriate transactions have been entered into the state accounting system (Mosaic) to support a timely Accounts Payable practice;
• →Assisting with the Agency federal grant process and sub-recipient compliance, including, but not limited to: governmental and non-governmental subrecipients, pre- and post-award processes, including risk assessment and contract preparation, billing, employee compensation documentation, allowable costs, indirect costs, contract extensions, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reporting, and audits. Along with monitoring existing spending of federal grants to manage budget vs. actual spending;
• →Reviewing vendor set-ups and modifications in our state accounting system (Mosaic) and the agency’s internal systems for compliance, completeness and accurate record keeping;
• →Developing standard and custom queries using the Commonwealth Information Warehouse (CIW) for reporting;
• →Preparing and disseminating information internally regarding payment statuses and processes; maintaining related electronic and hard-copy files;
• →Assisting with the Accounting Unit’s records management requirements, including electronic retention of all records;
• →Supporting ongoing department initiatives which include moving to a paperless office where possible, cross training, and standardized/routine reporting;
• →Participating in the development and implementation of agency policies and procedures, including the CPCS Internal Control Policy; and,
• →Other duties as assigned.

EEO Statement

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran or military status, genetic information, gender identity, or sexual orientation as required by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other applicable federal and state statutes and organizational policies.  Applicants who have questions about equal employment opportunity or who need reasonable accommodations can contact the Chief Human Resources Officer, Sandra DeBow-Huang, at sdebow@publiccounsel.net.